SCHOOL FOR SCOUNDRELS (2006) |
|
Starring Billy Bob
Thornton, Jon Heder,
Jacinda Barrett, Michael
Clarke Duncan, Sarah Silverman,
Matt Walsh, Horatio Sanz, Todd Louiso, Paul Scheer, Jon Glaser, Leonard
Earl Howze, Jim Parsons, Aziz Ansari, Remy K. Selma, Andrew Daly, Matt
Besser, Luiz Guzman and David Cross.
Screenplay by
Todd
Phillips & Scot Armstrong.
Directed by
Todd Phillips.
Distributed by The Weinstein Company. 100 minutes. Rated
PG-13. |
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School For Scoundrels
You often hear movie
reviewers refer to films as forgettable. I even do it sometimes myself,
though I try to avoid it because it is very dismissive of someone's work.
However, School for Scoundrels has taken this thought to a new level.
I try my best to be very
conscientious about reviewing movies in a timely manner after I see them.
On rare occasions I will wait a week or two when things are just too hectic.
I saw School for
Scoundrels almost two months ago. In that time I have written
several other movie reviews. However, to be completely honest, until
today I had completely and totally forgotten about the movie. Then I
was reading an article about Zach Braff's latest film The Last Kiss,
which co-starred Jacinda Barrett, who is also the romantic lead of School
of Scoundrels. It suddenly came back to me in a hazy "oh
yeah, did I ever do anything about that movie?"
I hadn't. Not even
given the movie a thought. Not that it was horrible although it
certainly wasn't good but there were some good dumb laughs. But
wait for it it was "totally forgettable."
Too bad, it's got a good
premise. A guy is such a shy loser that he takes a course to learn the
finer points of being a bastard. The teacher is a bitter, angry,
sarcastic creep named Dr. P. Billy Bob Thornton is spectacular at
playing characters like this and he is the only consistently enjoyable part
of the movie.
Unfortunately, co-star Jon
Heder is quickly becoming one of the more annoying comic actors in
movies; with
Napoleon Dynamite, The Benchwarmers and now this. Heder is
completely overmatched up against his co-star. It's not good when you
want the bad guy to pound the good guy throughout the entire running time of
the movie, but that is how you feel here. Then, by the time Ben Stiller shows up for a completely
unnecessary (and unfunny) cameo role, the movie has totally worn out its welcome.
(10/06)
Alex
Diamond |
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Posted: October 2, 2006.
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